My top 5 Essential iPad apps

A friend of mine noticed me using my iPad last month, I guess it looked like it was helping me out. So he got one for himself, I figured I could point him in the right direction with a list of apps that I use all the time:

Inkflow – (FREE, but I bought the upgrade)
I wanted something to scribble notes in, this fit the bill great, even as a free app. When I found out that you can import photos and notes on the paid app, I bought that right away. That comes in real handy. Though you can use your finger to draw or write, I like to use the Jot Stylus I got at Staples for $20, it feels natural and more precise.

Flipboard (FREE!)
There are website I read regularly, they post interesting stories all the time. Rather than visiting each website, Flipboard does all the work for me, loading all the stories I want to read, in one easy to navigate app. I choose the content, and flip to the sections I feel like reading, just like a magazine.

Social Apps
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest (FREE!)
I’m going to qualify these as a single point in this list just because social media should be all lumped together. Whether you socialize in Google+ or Facebook, or whatever, I think there is even a MySpace app. It’s a convenient way to stay in touch with friends. You can even integrate these apps into your Flipboard for a magazine style review.

Over (FREE!)
Thanks to these guys, I can import my favourite fonts into my iPad and use them over photos. You know I am a font addict, so I have a special place in my heart for apps that allow font customization.

Disclaimer – I get extra storage for each referral who signs up to dropbox via the above link. That hasn’t affected my rating, it is a valuable iPad resource.
You start out with a generous amount of storage space, but you can earn even more by referring friends in different ways, and installing it on your other workstations. This is a great way to share files over “the cloud”, or even back up data if you want. you can earn up to 16GB free storage, and buy more if you think you need it.

The iPad really is a helpful tool for me. it’s like a magic sketchbook that you can use to contact people, research things online, even manage a store and receive debit card purchases!